Shoe-upper



(No Model.)

J. H. EGAN, Jr.

SHOE UPPER.

Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

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JAMES HENRY EGAN, JR, OF ST. JOHNSVILLE, NEW YORK.

SHOE-UPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,239, dated March 18, 1884.

Application filed December 28, 1881. '(No modeLl To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY EGAN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at St. J ohnsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented certain Fig. 2, a sectional elevation of a portion of a shoeconstructed in accordance with'myinvention; Fig. 3, a plan View, in detail, of the shoe-stay; and Fig. 4, an edge view of the stay,

showing it skived at its upper portion longitudinally of its length.

The presentinvention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in shoes or.

shoe-uppers, and refers to that class of shoes provided. with outside and re-enforcing strips to prevent the seams from ripping, breaking, or cracking and wrinkling, especially at the heel.

Previous to my invention it was common to provide that class of boots having a back scam ,in the leg, also open-back half-boots, with a protector consisting of a strip of leather stitched at itsside edges to the leg and counter and extending some distance above said counter, and the bottom edge of the strip and inner sole and outer sole being all united by the ordinary fastenings, the purpose of which is to relieve the seam from all strain in drawing the boot upon or off the foot. There is considerable difference between a boot and a shoe, the'former being necessarily enlarged immediately above the counter, so as to render the pulling on or off easy, because the foot enters the boot from the top. Not so with a shoe. The top in front, down over the instep to near the point above the ball of the foot, must be unlaced or unbuttoned before the feet can be inserted, and when on the foot and after being laced or buttoned it is comparatively tight, in order to give a neat and smooth appearance to the ankle, while the boot, when on the foot, is perfectly loose around the ankle, this difference of construction rendering some means necessary in order to prevent the leather from breaking or cracking immediately above the counter, and at the same 5 5 time give ease and coin fort to the wearer; N0 w,

this tightness of the shoe down over the instep'to near the ball of the foot causes a deep, sharp kink or wrinkle to form just above the top edge of the stiffening, which acts as a ful- 6o ing answers the purpose of a lever, thus cans ing a crack in the leather and soon producing a break; To prevent this is the object and crum, while the action of the ankle in walkpurpose of my invention, and therefore I provide means whereby this kink or wrinkle is modified or changed in form and altered in shape so as to wholly prevent the cracking or breaking of the leather.

The invention consists in what I term a back stay, composed of a strip of soft loath-- er having its upper end skived across its entire surface and longitudinally of its length, and connecting it between the upper-leather and stiffening-leather by a horizontal and two 7 5 vertical rows of stitches upon each side of the back seam, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre- 8o sents the upperleather of a shoe, and B the usual lining, and (l the stifi ening-leather.

Between the stiffening G and upper-leather A is placed the back stay, D, consisting of a strip of soft leather, preferably French calfskin, having its upper portion entirely across its surface and in a direction of its length properly skived, as shown in Fig. 4. This stayD is held in place by stitching through the skived portion only and through the stiffening-leather 0 and upper and lining of the shoe, as shown in Fig. 2, the stay extendingdown with the stiffening-leather, and islasted with it. The lower portion of the stay is unstitched, leaving it free to seat itself between the surfaces of the stiffening-leatherand upper. Thus no stitches areleft at thispoint to rip or tear,while the shoe is rendered more comfortable to the wearer, as well as rendering it more durable.

The back stay, D, is stitched to the upper, :00

stiffening-leather, and to the lining, not only longitudinally of its length, but horizontally across its end, as clear] y shown in Fig. 1,. the vertical line of stitches being on each side of the back seam. This manner of stitching the stay, also extending the linesof stitches down over the top edge of the stiHening-leather, se-

curel y holds the stay in position, and also gives a bearing for aflexible connection with the inwardly-curved portion of the upper when it wrinkles.

The stay, when skived, as hereinbefore described, in connection with themanner of stitching it to the upper and stiffening-leather and to the lining, performs the double function of preventing the leather from cracking orbreaking at that point, and also forms, in connection with the inwardly-curved portion of the upper-leather, a flexible or hinged connect-ion, whereby the two. functions performed render the shoesuperior in many respects to thoseof ordinary manufacture.

It should be understood that the formation of a wrinkle at the inwardly-curved portion of the upper is not intended to be wholly provented, as a wrinkle is necessary for the free action of the ankle and the'eomfort ot'the wearer; Thereforethe stayis skived, as shown, and extends. above. the stiffening-leather a short distance, only su'fficient to cover the point where the upper wrinkles and cracks, thus leaving it soft and pliable above the stiffening, and not interfere with or irritate the sensitive tendo Achillis of the ankle, but leave its action free and natural.

Having now fully described my'inven-tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters, isv A shoe-upper consisting of a suitable lining, an upper-leather and astiffening-leather, and a back stay skived across its entire width and in a direction of its length, and held between them by a horizontal row of stitches across its upper end and two longitudinal rows of stitches, said stitches extending down only a portion of the length of the stay, to fasten it to the upper portion only of the stiffeningleather, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the above IV have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HENRY EGAN, JR,

\Vitnesses:

J. M. HUBBARD, J H. EGAN, Sr; 

